A85428:359
Christ Set Forth
Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tenderness of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tendernesse of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.
London: printed by W.E. and J.G. for Robert Dawlman, 1642
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Christ on purpose useth this speech, so to dash out of their hearts that conceit, which harboureth in many of ours, who look upon God in the matter of Salvation, as one who is hardly entreated to come off, to save sinners, and with whom Christ (through the backwardness of his heart) hath so much ado; and we are apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon, he doth it only & merely at Christs entreaty, and for his sake, having otherwise no innate motion in himself sufficient to incline his heart to it; but that it is in this transaction by Christ with him, as a Favourite procures a Pardon for a Traitor, whose person the King cares not for; only at his Favourites suit and request he grants it, which else he would never have done. You are deceived, says Christ, it is otherwise: my Fathers heart is as much towards you, and for your salvations, as mine is: Himself of himself loveth you. And the truth is, that God took up as vast a love unto us of himself at first, as ever he hath borne us since: and all that Christ doth for us, is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in Gods own heart. Thus we find, that out of that love he gave Christ for us: So John 3. 16. God so loved the world (of elect) that he ⟨p. 190⟩gave his only begotten Son to dye, &c. Yea, Christs death was but a means to commend or set forth that love of his unto us: So Rom. 5. 8. it was God also that did himself give the persons unto Christ, and under-hand set him on work to mediate for them: God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself: He only used Christ as his instrument to bring it honourably about. All the Blessings he means to give us, he first purposed and intended in himself: (so Eph. 1. 3, 5, 9, 11. compared) out of the good pleasure of his will, yet [in Christ] as it is added there, as the means through which he would convey them: yea Christ adds not one drop of love to Gods heart; only he draws it out, he broacheth it, and makes it flow forth, whose current had otherwise been stopped. The truth is, that God suborned Christ to beg them on our behalf for an honourable way of carrying it, and to make us prize this favour of it the more; but so, as his heart is as ready to give all to us, as Christs is to ask, and this out of his pure love to us.